A couple of days ahead of the much-anticipated theatrical release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, of which Jim Carrey’s turn as Dr. Robotnik has once again been one of the most praised aspects in early reviews, the producers of the video game adaptation say they won’t recast the character with a different actor, even if Carrey follows through on his recent retirement announcement.
When asked by IGN about the possibility of recasting Robotnik on the blue carpet premiere for the movie, producers Neal Mortiz and Toby Ascher said seeking another actor to fill those shoes was out of the question.
“We wouldn’t even try,” Mortiz said as Ascher nodded in agreement.
Earlier in the interview, Ascher indicated it would be an open invitation for Carrey to return for a third film, or make appearances in the coming spinoff shows of the franchise.
“Jim Carrey is always a member of the Sonic family and he’ll always have a place in these movies and TV shows as long as long as he’d like to be around. We love Jim and he’s so special and what he does with Robotnik is so incredible. We would love him as long as he’d like to be there with us.”
Mortiz added, on a hopeful note for the fans, “and I have a feeling that he loves Robotnik so much that I don’t think he’ll be able to walk away from it.”
Last week, Carrey announced he would “probably” be retiring from acting unless a really essential role came along. At the very least, he said, he’s “taking a break.”
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 spin-dashes into theaters Friday.